Maine
by Drizzt1138
Summary: Shortly after taking down the legendary crime boss Staples, Mac has a run-in with someone just as terrifying: Maine. Written as an opportunity to pit my two favorite psychopaths, Kitten and Maine, against each other. Rated T for violence. Please R&R! Will continue if people like it :)
1. Chapter 1

Maine

A Red V. Blue-Fourth Stall Crossover

_For Shan'ika, from your Preshi_

_Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum_

After Staples was taken care of, you would think all the trouble would have gone away. Vince and I thought so too. But we were wrong.

Shortly after our last encounter with the crime boss, we caught wind of more trouble brewing. My main informant, Ears, said that some of his followers were plotting to hunt me down. To exact their revenge, they had hired a thug so deadly he had been expelled from not one, not two, but five different schools. Eventually he had been enrolled in some kind of special program that trains military recruits. He was only known as Maine.

Our first reaction was to tighten security. We hired Kitten and Great White to guard us in case of an attack. We knew one was coming. Even though it probably saved us in the end, it still seemed almost pointless based on how dangerous this guy sounded. True, we had taken down Staples, but after something like that, handling another threat this big seemed like an impossible task.

We knew an attack was coming. So we prepared as much as we could before it came. We didn't have very long.

Kitten and I were walking towards my office in the East Wing bathroom when he struck. When I say struck, I mean it literally. He came out of the crowd fist first, almost clocking me in the face.

I dived out of the way, catching a glimpse of the attacker on the way. He was pretty big, but obviously fast as well. He was completely bald (or maybe he had shaved his head), and I could just barely see the corner of a tattoo on the back of his head. His face was similar to Staples' in that they both looked strangely intelligent, in a scary way. Like they could think up a thousand ways to kill you on the spot. One of the most disconcerting parts of the whole picture was his throat. It was covered in scars.

I didn't have time to ponder where these had come from; he was already on the move again. I was almost sure this one was going to hit me, but right before it did, Kitten dived in and blocked it. He punched my assailant's forearm, knocking it aside. Maine's head snapped toward Kitten; the glare he was shooting could have melted diamonds.

They both backed up slightly. Maine let out a low growl, a sound that didn't sound human at all. Kitten jumped straight back into combat, proving once and for all that he was completely insane. Nothing sane would ever get anywhere near Maine.

Kitten sent a side-kick right into Maine's chest. Any normal kid probably would have at least cringed, maybe even crumpled to the ground after a hit like that. Maine didn't even move. Or it didn't seem like he did, but then suddenly his hands were wrapped around the foot that had struck his chest. With one quick motion he twisted his hands, turning the leg and sending Kitten sprawling on the ground.

It took Kitten a second to regain his bearings. As he did so, Maine walked towards him, slowly and purposefully. Just as Maine had almost reached his opponent, Kitten used the opportunity to get in under his guard. With a cry of rage, the smaller combatant sent a right uppercut under his ribs, a left punch to the throat, and another right under the chin. The last punch sent Maine's head back and up, so that it looked as though he were searching the stars for something. An insane grin spread across Kitten's face.

Even as it did, Maine's head snapped back forward, slamming into his target's forehead. There was a loud crack, and Kitten fell back to the ground. This time Maine only had to take a single step; Kitten had taken all the others for him. Maine stooped down and wrapped a hand around the other's neck. I watched in horror and amazement and he lifted him into the air with barely any effort at all. Then he turned and, in the same motion, smashed Kitten into a nearby display case. The glass shattered, shards cutting his back. Still holding on, Maine pulled him out and threw him towards the opposite wall.

And then Kitten did what he does best, what he was born to do: something insane. He took the shard of glass in his hand and held it like a knife. In an instant, he drew back and then let fly, hurling the shank towards his enemy.

The makeshift knife hurled toward Maine, spinning past and cutting a long, clean gash along his cheek. He growled loudly, but kept moving, even as blood leaked down onto his chin.

A cloud of hopelessness passed over Kitten's face. Maine was apparently unstoppable; nothing we could do would cause him to pause for more than a second.

That's when I figured it out. "Kitten, fire alarm!" I saw understanding replace the despair on his face. He turned toward the wall that Maine had tossed him to and pulled the fire alarm.

Instantly the halls were filled with noise. People started moving towards the exits, guided by teachers and staff. Maine looked around him, up towards the ceiling that concealed the sky and the flashing alarm lights. Then he turned his fiery gaze back towards us. With a final, terrifying growl, he disappeared into the crowd. As hard to miss as he was, we couldn't catch sight of him after that.

We followed the crowd outside. Kitten was still trying to catch his breath; he was staggering, and I stayed close to him to make sure he wouldn't fall. Once we were outside, we met up with Vince, my business partner. A frown spread across his face as we described what had happened. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."

Vince nodded. "You're right. Even though we took down Staples, something tells me we'll never really be rid of him."

I pause for a second. I couldn't help but remember the look in Maine's eyes, the feral growl, and the intense hatred I saw there, beyond anything else I had ever seen. "Not only that… now we have a new problem. Maine won't give up until we're gone."

Kitten spoke up around his quickly swelling jaw. "You know, being in the business of solving problems seems to cause a lot of them."

I looked over at him. "Truer words have never been spoken."


	2. Chapter 2

It was a while before we got word of Maine again. We ended up with new jobs to take, new crises to deal with. In fact, by the time he did show up, I had been forced to give up the business entirely. Yet I always kept one eye open, just in case. Waiting for the next time he would strike. I didn't wait in vain.

I was walking to school with Vince when it happened. We were discussing Cubs trivia when we spotted a girl in a black sweat jacket in the middle of the sidewalk. She had her hood up, and she was just standing there. As we got closer, Vince called out, "Hey! What are you doing?"

The girl looked up, but we still couldn't see much of her face.

"Hey Mac. I hear you have a bit of a problem. Big guy, tattoo on the back of his head. I'm here to help you solve it." Her voice sounded casual. Almost mocking.

She was more than a little odd, but then I was used to dealing with odd people.

"What do you know about it? And who are you anyway?"

She chuckled a bit. "I'm… acquainted with Maine. In fact, I'm probably the only one who can deal with him for you. As for my name, you can call me Texas."

I nodded. "Ok… Texas. Look, I would be glad to accept your offer, but I really don't want to get involved in any trouble right now. In fact, I can't afford to."

The part of her face I could see formed a menacing grin. "But you see, this is an offer you can't refuse. Maine is coming for you, and nothing can stop him. Nothing except for me. And I'll do it free of charge. In fact, come by the kickboxing club after school. I'll show you what I can do, then you decide. Deal?"

She had used one of my favorite lines of all time - an offer you can't refuse. Yet I wish she hadn't. I wish I wasn't in this position, with a relentless force pursing me and next to nothing I could do about it. But it couldn't be helped.

"Deal."

* * *

Kickboxing club wasn't actually a kickboxing club. At least, not a school-sanctioned one. Some days after school, kids with too much time on their hands would go out behind the tool shed where all the fights happened and have their own tournaments. The members of the kickboxing club had unlimited access to these tournaments and were usually the best fighters in the school.

Vince and I were walking over there when we had our second odd encounter of the day. We found our path blocked yet again, but this time by none other than Hannah Kjelson. A girl who looked very similar to her accompanied her. They both had the same facial structure, those same neon-green eyes, and the same intense gaze that felt like it could melt you if they wanted it to. The main difference was that the other girl had blood-red hair.

"Hey, 'Trixie'," I said, using the fake name that she had chosen for herself when we first met. Both girls smirked at me.

Hannah spoke first. "Hey, Mac. Long time no see. This is my friend Carolina. She's in kickboxing club." Carolina nodded.

I almost sighed, but caught myself. What is it with people and state-based nicknames around here? "Hey," I said. "So what did you want to see me about?"

Now Carolina spoke. "I want you to help me beat Texas. I know she has some kind of weak point or something, but I can't figure out what it is. My friend here says you guys can solve problems."

This time I just let the sigh out. "Come on, Trixie. You know I'm not in that business anymore. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

"But Mac! I helped you out; you owe me! Aren't we friends? And besides, it wouldn't be the same! We're not paying you, and you're really more… giving advice than solving a problem. Please?" I looked at her. The same eyes that could have melted me before, looking so sad, softened me up a bit.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do. But no promises, ok?" She gave me a big grin.

"Thanks, Mac! You're the best!" I grumbled a bit as the two girls ran off.

I looked over at Vince. "This is just getting better and better, isn't it? We need Texas to protect us from Maine, but we also have to help Carolina to beat her. How on earth are we gonna do this?"

He nodded. "I guess we just go and watch Texas and then try and figure things out. Both goals involve seeing her in action, so it can't hurt. It's like my Grandma once said. 'When the states are throwing punches at you, you best hide the salami vinegar before the goat licks it." We laughed at that one all the rest of the way to kickboxing club.

* * *

We watched the fights from the middle of the crowd, far away enough that no one would be thrown into us and close enough to the inside that we couldn't be seen by any passing administrators. A few fights went by before Tex came out of the crowd and into the ring. Her opponent was none other than Great White. The pale, blond Brit gave her a threatening smirk as they circled each other. I wasn't sure, but I think under the hood she was smiling too.

The shark-like boy jumped straight in, aiming a punch at her stomach. She nimbly dodged out of the way, far too fast for him to catch. He growled and came in again, just to have her sidestep and swing her forearm out to smash against his head. He was dazed for just a second, but then came in even harder, trying to bring his fist down on her head. Tex blocked it and countered, sending her fist into his gut and knocking him to the ground.

It took a bit longer for Great White to get up this time. Texas stood in place, waiting in a ready stance. As soon as he was up, Great White lunged at her, trying to attack from under her guard with an uppercut. Instead of blocking, she ducked and dodged, trying to get out of his way. It looked as though he had the advantage, until Tex sent her leg flying out in a side kick, smashing into his chest. He flew back, landing hard on the dusty ground at the edge of the circle. He didn't get up this time.

I couldn't believe it was over so quickly. Great White was one of the best fighters I knew and Texas had just taken him down in less than a minute. How on earth could we help someone beat that? And considering that she was offering us help, could we even afford to?


	3. Chapter 3

After a lot of arguing, Vince and I decided to help out Carolina. We had promised her that we would, and I don't go back on my promises. All being well, Tex wouldn't find out and she would still help us out. It was a risk, but we decided it was a necessary one.

We told her what we had found out just before the match. Carolina just nodded and got into the ring. Vince and I gave each other a look- what, no thank you?- and joined the crowd that was watching the match. It looked like a lot of people had come out for this one. Kids are like sharks; they can smell blood from a mile away.

Texas and Carolina were already circling each other, sizing each other up. After a few seconds, Carolina moved in, rushing up to Tex with outstanding speed. Her movements were completely fluid and controlled as she jumped into the air and shot out her leg to kick Tex in the face. Tex dodged, and Carolina followed up with a punch, using the leftover momentum from the jump to put more force behind it.

This time, Tex blocked the punch. Then she countered, sending a punch towards Carolina. She pressed the advantage, kicking out towards Carolina's stomach. Carolina dodged out of the way, towards the shed, and crouched down so she was touching the ground.

When she came back up, there was an iron pipe in her hands. My eyes widened, and I looked over at Texas. She was gonna get seriously hurt if Carolina landed a blow with that thing. I was about to say something, tell her to stop the fight, but then I realized she was grinning. This time my eyes almost popped out of my head as Tex pulled a switchblade from her pocket.

I watched in shock as the two girls went at it again, trading blows with their weapons. Each hit sent sparks flying through the air. I knew no one was going to snitch, but I was still slightly shocked that people were still watching the fight. If things went to far, someone could get killed. And yet Carolina and Texas didn't seem to be afraid at all. In fact, they looked like they were thriving.

Carolina was coming in hard now, swinging overhand blows. After about four hits, she knocked the switchblade from Tex's hands. It went flying, spinning through the air and embedding itself in the wall of the shed. And still Carolina swung again, looking like she was about to bash Texas' skull in.

Tex moved so fast I swear her hands blurred. She caught the pipe, wrenching it from Carolina's grasp. She threw it out of the ring so that Carolina couldn't use it again. As she did this, Carolina used the distraction to sweep Tex's feet out from under her.

Texas caught herself. Hands on the ground, she lifted her feet up and pulled herself into a handstand. From there she pushed off the ground with her hands, flipping surprisingly high into the air. Before Carolina could react, Tex grabbed her shoulders and landed with her feet on the ground. In a remarkable show of pure strength, Texas lifted Carolina off the ground and over her head. Then she brought the red-haired girl smashing into the ground.

It had all happened in the span of a few seconds.

Everyone went silent for another few seconds. Carolina lay on the ground, battered and breathing heavily. She didn't get up. Then the crowd went absolutely wild. Before we could reach her, she disappeared into it.

We saw her again the next day.

"So Mac," She said from behind me. I whirled around to see her grinning at me. "That was nice of you to help Carolina like that."

Adrenaline surged through me. "How did you figure it out?"

She laughed. "Relax. I'm not gonna hurt you. Actually, I knew it all along. Carolina's been trying to beat me for years. I knew eventually she would come to you for help. And I also knew it wouldn't matter. I wanted to show you what I can really do. I beat Carolina, even though she had the advantage. So there's your proof."

My jaw dropped through the floor. After a while, I finally gathered my wits about me enough to speak again. "So… you're still gonna help us?"

She gave me that unsettling grin again. "Of course I will." With that, she walked down the hall, leaving me behind with all the questions I should have asked.


	4. Chapter 4

Of course Texas wanted us to be the bait. It was only logical for us to set up a trap, and the only way to be sure we could draw him out would be to bait the trap with something we knew he wanted. That was how we found ourselves walking alone in the woods that night.

It wasn't too long before he came out of the shadows. We weren't surprised to see him. What we were surprised to see was what appeared to be a very large gun in his hands. It was all curves, with a blade running along the underside of it. I thought I was about to keel over in terror when Texas showed up. "What is that thing?" I asked her.

My eyes widened as she pulled out what appeared to be two pistols. "It's just like these." She caught my look and grinned again. "Don't worry. They're like paintball guns. We got them from Project Freelancer, that military training program that we used to be part of. That being said, I'll be fine. Just stay back." With that, she charged directly at Maine.

I gasped as Maine fired at her. His gun shot this purple stuff that Tex avoided by jumping over it. When it hit the ground, it splattered outwards and then suddenly seemed to freeze, leaving a bunch of spikes protruding from the center of the blast. Whatever the stuff was, it appeared to be hard as concrete now. If this was what that project was using, I couldn't imagine what other resources they might have.

Texas hid behind a tree to provide cover from more of Maine's blasts. From there, she leaned out to one side and fired at him with one of her pistols. It seemed to shoot the same type of "paint" as Maine's gun, although in smaller amounts. Maine dodged the shot. Then Tex fired from the other side of the tree but he dodged this shot too.

With a growl, Maine fired a shot at the tree. Tex rolled out of the way just as the shot hit, covering the trunk of the tree in purple spikes. Then Tex hit behind another tree, firing off some more shots before Maine was able to drive her out again.

Eventually, both of them needed to reload. Maine opened the top of his gun, staying in place as he loaded in a new clip. Texas dropped one of her pistols, charging at him as she loaded in a new clip as well.

As she approached, she fired at the barrel of Maine's gun. The paint flew through the air, hitting the muzzle and jamming the gun. Unfortunately, that didn't render it completely useless. Maine sprinted over to Tex, swinging the gun outwards so as to send the side with the blade directly towards his opponent.

Texas dodged out of the way at the last second. Maine kept going, however, and the blade of his weapon bit into the tree behind her, getting caught. He yanked at it, pulling it loose just as Texas rolled away again.

He swung the blade out towards Tex again, and again he missed. Tex dropped down under his guard, and fired off two shots. The shots hit both of his hands, trapping his hands to the gun. Then she kicked it into the ground, driving the blade into the dirt and Maine to his knees. Once she had done this, she fired off a whole clip point-blank, almost completely covering him in the paint. He was completely stuck.

Texas walked back to where we were, completely calm and composed. We stared at her in shock. "You're not just going to leave him there, are you?" Vince asked.

She grinned. "Yup," she said. "Don't worry, someone from Project Freelancer will be by to pick him up. Eventually. Regardless, he won't bother you two anymore, now that he knows you're under my protection. My work here is done." With that, she walked off. It was the last we ever heard from her. But we knew she was still around. We never saw Maine again.


End file.
